You can’t silence us on deep sea drilling - rally at Parliament

350 Aotearoa

Immediate release

Wellingtonians will gather at Parliament tomorrow, Thursday 5th September, at 12.30pm, to creatively voice their opposition to deep sea oil drilling, and the Government’s efforts to silence the large and growing public concern about it.

The Government last week announced its plans to make exploratory deep sea drilling permits ‘non-notified’, effectively removing the right of the public to have any formal say on exploratory drilling.

‘The Government knows that a wide cross section of New Zealanders are deeply concerned about deep sea drilling and the risks it brings to our oceans, environment and climate’ said Jessie Dennis, 350 Aotearoa campaigns coordinator. ‘ And instead of listening to that concern, they plan to legislate to silence the public and chip further away at our democratic rights.’’

‘Our message at the rally tomorrow will be, if you try and silence public opposition to deep sea drilling, it will only get louder.’

Rally attendees will cover their mouths to symbolise the Government’s attempts to silence them. But it won’t be a silent event…

Green MP Julie Anne Genter and Labour MP Maryan Street will speak along with local groups opposing deep sea oil drilling.

ENDS

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